Folding table



March 8, 1960 w. R. VAN DEUSEN, JR. ETA!- 2,927,702

FOLDING TABLE Filed Sept. 11, 1957 Fly. 1

Uni d a s P -Q FOLDING TABLE William R. Van Deusen, Jr., Rochester, and James A. Hodock, Fairport, N.Y.; said Van Deusen assiguor to said Hodock Application September 11, 1957, Serial No. 683,319

4 Claims. (Cl. 211-=-149) This invention relates to a folding table having the form of two similar folding tables joined together, one on top of the other.

An object of this invention is to provide a generally improved and more satisfactory folding table on which to place articles such as an amateur moving picture projector or a so-called slide projector.

Another object is the provision of a folding table so designed as to permit folding to a relatively small size.

Still another object is the provision of a folding table so designed as to permit the height to be easily altered or adjusted.

A further object is the provision of a folding table having an additional table surface area in the center or half way between the top table surface and the floor on which to place articles such as reels of motion picture films or so called slides, sometimes called transparencies.

A still further object is the provision of a folding table so designed as to permit its erection or unfolding to a desired height and to be automatically positively locked at that desired height in the relatively short time of approximately one second.

These and other desirable objects may be attained in the manner disclosed as an illustrative embodiment of the invention in the following description and in the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, in which:

Fig. l is a perspective view of the table according to the invention shown in one of its unfolded positions; and

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the table of Fig. *1 shown in its folded position.

The same reference numerals throughout the two views indicate the same parts:

In the following description the side of the table facing the observer as he looks at the drawings will be referred to as the right side and the far side will be referred to as the left side. The end shown on the left side of the drawings will be referred to as the front.

Parts 1 through 8 are substantially identical to each other and are stiif strips of a suitable material such as wood or channelized metal. These parts will be called legs. The bottom right legs 3 and 4 and the bottom left legs 7 and S are crossed and pivoted at their centers with combination fasteners and pivot shafts. The top right legs 1 and 2 and the top left legs 5 and 6 are crossed and pivoted in like manner and the bottoms of the top right legs 1 and 2 and the top left legs 5 and 6 are pivoted to the tops of the bottom right legs 3 and 4 and the bottom left legs 7 and 8 by means of cylindrical parts 11 and 12 which are made from a suitable material such as wooden dowel, metal rod or tubing. These parts 11 and 12 as well as parts 9, 10, 13 and 14 will be called dowels.

The four right legs 1, 2, 3 and 4 and the four left legs 5, 6, 7 and 8 jointed in the manner described above, form units which could be likened to systems of lazy tongs, in that they are capable of considerable extension. Note the Fig. 1 position when compared to their fully collapsed form as shown in Fig. 2.

The top 21 is made from a suitable material such as 2,927,702 A Patented Mar. 8, 1960 plywood and is pivoted to the tops of legs 2 and 6 by means of a dowel 10 extending between these legs and passing through holes drilled in a pair of lugs '19 and 20, each of which is fastened to the opposite sides of the bottom surface of the front end of top 21. The other end of top 21 is loosely coupled to a dowel 9 extending between the tops of legs 1 and 5 by means of a cord or chain 25. As the table is extended, the top is allowed to slide along the circumference of wheel earns 17 and 18 which are actually segments, on chord, of disks fastened to the ends of legs 1 and 5.

The function of cams 17 and 18 is to keep the top 15 in a substantially horizontal position when'the table is in intermediate positions such as the position represented in Fig. 1. The cams 17 and 18 are engaged by the end of the table top 21 when the distance between the upper ends of the legs 1, 2, 5 and 6 is greater than the length of the table top. When this distance is less than the length of the table top 21, the end of the table top is supported mainly by the upper ends of legs 1 and 5.

The ratches 15 and 16 are the same size as the legs and have a series of notches formed or cut in the material. The notches form an angle of approximately 50 with the length of the material. The ratches 15 and 16 are fastened to the center shelf 22 so that the ratch teeth extend down. The ends of ratches 15 and 16 are pivoted to legs 2, 3, 6 and 7 by means of dowel 11 which passes through holes in the ratch. As the folding table is expanded or raised, the ratch teeth slide over dowel 12. When the table is slightly lowered, dowel 12 will engage with the nearest notch in ratches 15 and 16.

When the table is viewed from the front, an angle of is formed between the legs and the top 21, center shelf 22 and the floor. Since this forms a rectangle, there is a tendency for unsteadiness with lateral movement or racking, a tendency well understood by those familiar with this type of construction. To minimize this tendency, cross braces 23 and 24 are installed which are made from a stiff material such as plywood or corrugated sheet metal. The top brace 23 is located slightly above the intersection of legs 1 and 2 and is fastened to legs 1 and 5. The bottom brace 24 is fastened to legs 3 and 7 at the intersection of legs 3 and 4.

The most convenient way to set up this table is to place it flat on the floor, as shown in Fig. 2, grasp dowel 10 with one hand and dowel 14 with the other hand and while holding dowel 14 down, raise up on dowel 10 until top 21 is slightly above the desired height. Letting down on dowel 10 will then allow the ratches 15 and 16 to en gage with dowel 12. The most convenient way to fold this table is to place a foot on dowel 14, hold dowel 10 with one hand and hold the center shelf 22 with the other hand. By slightly raising both dowel 10 and shelf 22 the ratches 15 and 16 will disengage from dowel 12. While continuing to hold shelf 22 away from the vicinity of dowel 12, top 21 can be lowered by letting down on dowel 10 until the table is again in its most compact form as shown in Fig 2.

What is claimed is:

1. A folding table movable between a folded position and various elevated positions, said table comprising a plurality of pairs of spaced opposing leg members adapted to be pivotally interconnected as a lazy tong structure, said pairs of leg members including a first and second pair each crossed and pivoted to one another at their midpoints and a third and fourth pair each crossed and pivoted to one another at their mid-points, said third and fourth pairs being disposed on top of said first and second pairs, a first pair of cross rods pivotally connecting the upper ends of said first and second pairs to the lower ends of said third and fourth pairs, a pair of spaced latch bars each pivoted to one of said first pair of cross rods at its one end and having means at its other end for detachable engagement in a selected one of a plurality of positions with the other of said first pair of cross rods, a center shelf mounted on said latch bars, a second. pair of cross rods extending between the upper ends of said third and fourth pairs of leg members, a table top having a length shorter than that of said center shelf, means for pivotally mounting one end of said table top on one of said second pair of cross rods, and means engageable by the other end of said table top for supporting said table top in a substantially level position when the distance between the upper ends of said third and fourth pairs of leg members is greater than the length of said table top.

2. A construction as defined in claim 1 wherein said means for supporting said table top in a substantially level position includes a pair of cam disk segments secured to the upper ends of one of said third and fourth pairs of leg members.

3. A construction as defined in claim 1 including flexible means for loosely coupling said other end of said table top with the other one of said second pair of cross rods.

4. A construction as defined in claim 1 wherein said means at the other end of said latch. bars for detachable engagement with the other of said first pair of cross rods are provided by a plurality of spaced notches inclined inwardly so that said latch bars slide over said other one of said first pair of cross rods as the table is moved from the folded to an elevated position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 264,751 Potts Sept. 19, 1882 2,521,265 Starr Sept. 5, 1950 2,624,469 Cadwell Jan. 6, 1953 hum 

